


Forget Me Not

by hntrgurl13, Purpledragon6



Category: Gravity Falls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-15 18:58:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12326922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hntrgurl13/pseuds/hntrgurl13, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purpledragon6/pseuds/Purpledragon6
Summary: Dipper and Mabel try to investigate who the Author of the Journal’s may be. They find much more than what they bargained for.





	1. Shifty Business

**Author's Note:**

> This would take place in the AU where my OC, Adeline Marks, remained in Gravity Falls and had her memories erased by the Blind Eye involuntarily. Hope you guys enjoy this :)

“Testing. Testing. One, two, three.” Dipper tapped the microphone on his recorder gently to make sure it was working. 

“Pretty sure it’s working, bro bro.” Mabel, Dipper’s twin sister, was right by his side, ready to take on the task at hand. The two were hiding in a bush outside the Lake office, waiting for their quarry to emerge. “Ugh, it’s almost sundown! How late do these park rangers work?!”

Dipper shushed his sister quickly. 

“They should be getting off work soon. Just be quiet so they don’t notice us. This is all about stealth, Mabel. We have to be stealthy.”

“Stealthyyyyy...” Mabel repeated the word while squinting her eyes and giving a mischievous smile. 

Dipper rolled his eyes before going back to concentrating on the small building by the lake. The subject of today’s venture would be coming out soon. They waited what felt like an eternity before the door finally opened. 

First to come out was Tate McGucket. The adult son of the hillbilly-esque town genius/kook, Fiddleford McGucket. Park ranger and local skeptic. He and his dad don’t talk very much anymore, but that wasn’t too surprising since Old Man McGucket would make dangerous robots every other week. It wasn’t like McGucket didn’t WANT to spend time with his son, heck half the mechs he made were to get his son’s attention. It’s just that Tate had a difficult time reconnecting with the guy that went completely insane for some reason. But Tate wasn’t the person the twins were interested in this time...

Right after Tate walked out a tall man with messy blonde hair, soft eyes and six fingers. 

“Oliver “Shifty” Marks. The subject of today’s investigation. He’s a park ranger and local every guy.” Dipper whispered into his recorder, being sure not to get anyone’s attention.

“Yeah, he’s really nice! One time, I was looking for a pretty shell for my scrapbook about Mermando and he found me the prettiest pink shell I’ve ever seen! And he always goes out of his way to help people!” 

“Mabel, be quiet! They’ll hear us!” Dipper looked up to see Shifty and Tate waving bye to each other. 

“So... Why are we following Shifty around? He’s probably the most normal guy around here.” 

“Wrong, Mabel. In case you haven’t noticed, Shifty has a condition called Polydactyly.”

Mabel looked at her brother with a confused look.

“Okay, you lost me...”

Dipper groaned. “Six fingers. He has six fingers on both his hands. Who else has six fingers, Mabel? The Author of the journals!”

“But... Shifty isn’t old enough to be the Author. That weird timeline in it said the guy showed up in, like, the early 70’s. Shifty wouldn’t have even been BORN yet.”

“I know. But what I’m thinking is that maybe he knows the Author. Or maybe the Author’s his dad. I don’t know. But this is the closest thing to a lead we’ve had ever since we started trying to figure out who the Author is. Maybe he knows what happened to him.”

“Look! He’s walking into the woods!” Mabel pointed in the direction of the man now making a b-line into the trees. “AFTER HIM!”

“Mabel! Shhhhh! Stealthy, remember?”

“Right, right. Sorry.”

The twins quietly followed Shifty, hiding behind bushes, trees and ducking down at any sign that the man may have heard them. Shifty continued to follow a small path deeper into the woods for what seemed like forever.

“Are you sure he isn’t just going on a nature hike? He’s been walking a long time.” Mabel gave Dipper a frustrated look, obviously getting tired of trailing someone with no results. 

“Nature’s his JOB. Why would he be going on a nature hike when he’s already gone on several? No, he’s going home. Or somewhere else.”

“Hmmm... Have we ever SEEN him at home? I don’t think I’ve ever seen where he lives. This isn’t a big town, everyone knows where everyone lives...” This perked Mabel’s interest in their task. “What if he lives in a mansion? Or a cabin? Or maybe he’s one of those super nature guys that live off the land!” 

“Well we’d better not lose him or we won’t find out.” 

A twig snapped under Dipper’s shoe, causing Shifty to turn abruptly. Dipper could have sworn there was a hint of pink in his eyes...

Shifty gave out a soft growl as he examined the terrain around him. 

“Come out! Whoever you are, the jig’s up! Come out now before I have to come find you!”

Dipper and Mabel could feel their bodies shack in fear. They’d never heard Shifty sound so ferocious, even when he was mad. This was just downright monstrous. They could hear the man starting to approach them slowly, like a lion ready to pounce on its’ prey. Dipper’s heart was beating practically out of his chest.

Shifty inched ever closer when a creature popped out of a nearby bush.

“OKAY! OKAY! Geez, you don’t have to be so scary like that, Shifty!” Jeff the gnome looked just as terrified as Dipper and Mabel felt. 

The twins let out a soft sigh of relief as did Shifty.

“Jeff, don’t sneak up on me like that. You know how I get when I think someone’s following me... Especially out here.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Lighten up a bit. Maybe the old lady wouldn’t worry about you so much if you did.”

Dipper and Mabel looked at each other in surprise.  
“ “Old Lady”? Who’s that supposed to be?” Mabel whispered to her brother. 

“Maybe it’s Shifty’s mom. We’ve never met her.”

“Hmmm... I HAVE heard him talk about his mom a few times. I just assumed he was a momma’s boy.”

“Maybe he lives with her.”

“Ugh, like one of those weird basement dwellers?”

“No, Mabel. Maybe she needs help taking care of herself and he just lives with her.”

“Or maybe she’s a witch that doesn’t want anyone to see her face because she’s so hideous! And Shifty brings her food and supplies so she doesn’t wreak havoc on the town’s people!”

“... I highly doubt that.”

“Wait, how does he even know Jeff? No one in town knows about the gnomes or anything else!”

The twins resumed listening to the two’s conversation.

“So! You got the good stuff?” Jeff rubbed his hands together greedily as Shifty put his backpack on the ground between the two. Dipper stole a glance to see what it was that the man was offering the short creature. 

Shifty pulled out a large pie from the bag. 

“YES! GIMME GIMME!” Jeff hopped eagerly trying to snatch the pastry from Shifty’s hands but the human was too quick.

“Nu uh. Hold on there, Jeff. Our deal still holds, right?”

“UGH! Yes, for the love of-! The gnomes will continue protecting the area around the old lady’s house and making sure no one trespasses as long as you keep giving us food! With at least one of Lazy Susan’s pies a month! NOW GIMME!” Jeff reached up for the pie like a child reaching for a toy.

“Good. Pleasure doing business with you, Jeff.” Shifty finally gave the gnome his reward. Jeff started to scamper off when he stopped and turned back to the adult. 

“You know, maybe it’d be a good idea to let the old gal out every now and again. She could use some social interaction. Maybe she’ll make a new “friend”, if you know what I mean.” Jeff smirked but Shifty was unamused.

“No. She’s finally getting better. The last thing she needs is someone showing up and ruining it. And you need to keep your opinion of that to yourself.” Shifty gave the creature an angry look, making the small being wince a bit.

“Geez, touchy. Well it was good seeing you, kid. Tell the old lady I said “hi”.” And with pie in tow, Jeff vanished into the greenery. 

Shifty let out what sounded like a rather sad sigh and began repacking his bag.  
Mabel looked over at Dipper, a bit nervous now.

“So Shifty has a deal with the gnomes to keep this lady away from people? Maybe she IS a witch...” 

Dipper started to consider the possibilities. Why would Shifty go to such extremes just to keep this person away from the outside world? He thought of all the dangerous beings that they’ve encountered over the summer. Between the gnomes and the little psycho known as Gideon, could there really be something so bad that another person has to keep them under lock and key twenty-four/seven? A witch honestly wouldn’t be too out of left field...

“I don’t know... We need to keep following him. Maybe it’s just an over protective son or something...” 

“What kind of overprotective son hires a bunch of gnome guards?”

“We could be overreacting, Mabel. Let’s just keep up the investigation.”

Mabel sighed. “Fine. But if something happens you owe me some ice cream.”

The twins continued to follow Shifty without any further incident. He led them to a rather large cabin in the middle of the woods. It was almost as big as the Mystery Shack but instead covered in ivy with flowers growing from a small garden in the front. There was even an area for vegetables and a few fruit trees. It looked like an oasis in the middle of the forest. 

“Woah...” Dipper was baffled at the discovery. 

“It’s so cute! This is much better than what I was thinking!”

“Mabel! Hush!” Dipper grabbed his sister and hid behind a large bush. “We’re still trying to be stealthy.”

“Sorry, Dipper, it’s just so cute. It looks like the Mystery Shack if a woman lived there.”

“Hmmm... Manly Dan must have built the cabin a long time ago. So this “Old Lady” has been here for a while... Shifty must have lived here his whole life.”

“I wish I could have lived here my whole life.”

Shifty went up to the door and unlocked it. He placed his backpack on the floor on the other side of the threshold before shutting the door gently behind him.

“Mom! I’m home!”

Dipper came out of his hiding spot as soon as he was sure the coast was clear, starting to head for the door with determination.

“Dipper? What are you doing?” Mabel followed him quickly.

“I’m going to knock on the door and find out what’s going on here. We’re so close to finding out everything! I can’t just ignore this opportunity, Mabel!” Dipper’s hand formed a fist as he approached the door but he was stopped suddenly.

“The heck do you two think you’re doin?” The twins were pulled off the ground by their collars. Dipper groaned as he recognized the gruff voice of his great uncle, Stan.

“Grunkle Stan! What’re you doing out here in the middle of the woods?” Mabel asked him happily, seemingly relieved to have an excuse to leave now.

“Putting up signs when I saw you two stalking the park ranger. Can’t leave you squirts alone for a second without you two doing something weird.” 

“No! Grunkle Stan! We’re trying to figure out something! We just wanted to ask Shifty and his mom some things! Please, wait!” Dipper squirmed in his grunkle’s grasp until he gave up. There was no way Stan was letting him go until they got home. 

“Ah no you don’t. You just leave Shifty and his old lady alone. They like their privacy and they don’t need a couple of nosey kids showing up and ruining it. We’re goin’ home and you two aren’t to go anywhere near that house ever again.”

Dipper let out an exasperated sigh, admitting defeat for the time being. He looked back at the house as it disappeared into the forest. His eyes squinted. He may have lost this battle but he wasn’t going to lose the war. 

He’d get his answers one way or another.


	2. The Woman in the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper, Mabel and Soos finally meet Shifty’s mother. But this mysterious woman may be more than she appears to be.

Dipper grumbled as his Grunkle Stan put a plate of stan-cakes in front of him. He just stared angrily at the old man.

“Still mad about yesterday?” Stan went on with his business as usual while fixing breakfast. He wasn’t very phased by his nephew’s irritation.

Mabel wolfed down her pancakes with a huge smile on her face. She had gotten the full front of her brother’s agitation the previous night but she was certain he’d cool off by morning. Besides, how could he be upset with pancakes? She gave him a little poke on the cheek.

“Come, Dipper. You can’t still be upset. Didn’t you let out all your steam last night?” 

Dipper grunted. “No. I’m still pretty upset. We were so close to getting answers, Mabel. Aren’t you a little upset?”

Mabel put down her glass of orange juice. “Well, a little disappointed but not really upset. I’m sure there’s a good reason Grunkle Stan took us away from Shifty’s house yesterday.”

Stan plopped a big plate of what remained of the pancakes and took his seat at the table, coffee in hand.

“The reason was because exactly what I told you two the other day. They are very private people. They like that privacy and I respect that. And you ought to too. Besides, you didn’t need to be in the woods so late. You know just as well as I do how dangerous things can get in there, especially at night. You’re just lucky I found ya when I did.” Stan took a long sip of his mug and took out the newspaper.

“But we were so CLOSE! I was just going to ask them a couple of questions and then we’d come right back here. We could still go by there today! I’m sure Shifty’s mom-!”

“You stay away from Shifty’s mom. She doesn’t need anyone bothering her. Especially some nosey kid wanting to ask her a million questions.” 

“But-!”

“No buts. And if you don’t watch it the only butt you’ll have to worry about is yours when it’s grounded.”

Dipper groaned and leaned back into his chair, eating his pancakes angrily. He knew there was something weird about Shifty and his mom. Why would this guy have the gnomes guard their house like that? Why was he so insistent on keeping her cooped up at home? What was his possible connection to the Author? And if he didn’t know anything, did his mother know? Dipper stabbed his pancakes and excused himself, leaving Stan and Mabel watching him leave speechlessly. He had to get back to that house. 

Hours passed as Dipper scanned the journal, searching for anything that could be a clue as to who the Author could be. Nothing seemed to pop from the pages. Mabel walked into the room they shared with a worried look on her face.

“Hey, Dipper? Are you really that upset about what happened yesterday? If you calm down, I’m sure we can figure out something.” She sat on his bed next to him.

“It’s just that we had answers on the other side of that door. And Stan pulled us away with no good reason aside from “Don’t bug them”. Of course I’m upset, Mabel!” Dipper fell back onto his bed with a thud. “We just need to get back to that house...”

“Dipper, maybe Stan’s right. Maybe they just like their privacy. Shouldn’t we respect that?” Mabel picked up the Journal and looked at the cover. “I know you want to find out who this person is, but do you really want to invade someone’s life to do that?”

“Mabel, it isn’t invading. We’d only be asking a few questions and then they’d never have to hear from us again. I just want to see if they might know something... It’s the only lead we’ve had for a while...” 

Mabel sighed and hit her brother playfully with a smile on her face.

“Okay. We’ll figure out a way to get back to that house. Just so you can find your Author.”

Dipper smiled back at his sister.

“Thanks Mabel. I can always count on you.”

“So, what’s the plan? No way is Stan going to let us out on our own after what happened yesterday.”

“Hmmm...” A look of realization came across Dipper’s face as he sat up to meet his sister, who shared a similar look.

“Soos.”

—Sometime later—

“Okay, dudes, where exactly are we going? Mr. Pines said I needed to keep an eye on you two while he ran the Shack. And, you know, I don’t wanna disappoint him.”

“Don’t worry about it, Soos. We’re just going on a nice nature walk. Nothing huge.” Dipper led the way as they started down the same path they had followed Shifty down the other day.

“Yeah, but who knows what kind of things we’ll randomly find in the forest. Could be a pack of squirrels. Or a cabin. Or some gnomes.” Mabel gasped. “OR A UNICORN!” 

Dipper gave Mabel a disapproving look, letting her know she was saying a little too much.

“Huh. Well I guess there’s nothing wrong with that. I mean, it’s not like we’re heading straight towards the Marks’ house or anythi- Oh my gosh, that’s exactly what we’re doing isn’t it?!” Soos stopped in his tracks with a panicked look on his face.

“Okay, calm down, Soos. We’re just going by to see if Shifty’s mom is home and ask her a few questions about the Journal. Not a big deal... Wait... “Marks’ house”? You know about Shifty’s house?” Dipper was shocked at the sudden information from their friend.

“Dude, EVERYONE in town knows about the Marks’ house. If you know what’s good for you, you stay away from that place.” The fear in Soos’s face made the twins worry.

“Why? It’s just a little old lady who lives in a cabin in the woods.”

“Oh man, you dawgs don’t know all the stories about that place. Ms. Marks never leaves that place. Never has. People say she chooses to do that. Others say Shifty, her son and only form of contact, has her locked up in the basement so she doesn’t go on a killing spree. She used to be really pretty before her whole body got burnt up and scarred. Now, if a kid wanders too close and gets caught by her, she eats them because she thinks it’ll make her beautiful again. She’s a straight up witch, dude!”

The siblings gave Soos a confused look.

“Or she could just be a lady that likes her privacy...”

“Like Grunkle Stan said!” Mabel interjected.

“Soos, those are just rumors. Have you seen any proof of any of these?”

“Well... uh... no. But Abuelita knew her back when my mom was younger. She said she was pretty normal back then. But she hasn’t spoken with her in almost thirty years. Anything could have happened, right?”

“Well... yeah. But I highly doubt she’s a burned up cannibal, Soos. That just sounds like something in bad horror movies.”

Mabel grabbed Dipper’s arm. 

“But what if she is? That’d explain why Stan doesn’t want us anywhere near the house. It’d also explain why Shifty has the gnomes guarding the area. I don’t want my cuteness to get eaten by a witch, Dipper!” She started shaking him frantically.

“Mabel! Stop! We aren’t going to get eaten by a-!”

“HALT! Who goes there?!” 

The trio looked around for the source of the voice. A small gnome came out of a nearby tree, landing directly in their path. He looked much younger than the usual gnomes, even younger than Jeff.

“None shall pass! I have direct orders from the boss to not let anyone through here!” The little man crossed his arms like he was a 6 foot tall bouncer rather than a 2 inch tall creature.

Mabel tried to hold back a squeal as best she could. 

“You’re so little and cute! You don’t even have a full beard yet!” Mabel reached out to poke the little thing when he slapped her finger away while blushing.

“I-I won’t be swayed by you’re feminine wiles, vixen! I-I have a job to do for Jeff! I have a piece of pie waiting for me for a job well done!” The prepubescent gnome stuttered and tried to keep his face out of sight.

“What’s your name?” Dipper asked while fishing for something in his backpack.

“H-huh? Um... Jerome...”

“Oh my gosh! Jerome the gnome! That’s adorable! I just want to wrap you up and put a little bow on you!” Mabel squealed excitedly while staying at Jerome’s level.

“Y-yeah... But everyone just calls me Jerry...” Jerry blushed dark red and scratched the back of his head at Mabel’s praise.

“Okay, Jerry the gnome...”

Soos laughed slightly, getting everyone’s attention.

“Jer-gnome....”

Dipper rolled his eyes while Mabel giggled. He pulled out a chocolate bar from his back pack, flashing it in front of a wide eyed Jerry.

“This is a chocolate bar. Nothing but ten squares of delicious cocoa goodness. And it’s all yours if you let us through.”

“B-but, I have a job...” Jerry’s mouth started to water at the rectangle. He reached up for it before Dipper took it away.

“Uh uh! Gotta let us pass first, Jerry. Then you get the chocolate bar.”

“But... Jeff gave me an order...” 

“What Jeff doesn’t know won’t kill him! And I’ll even throw in a Mabel hug on our way back!” Dipper smiled at his sister and her willingness to sweeten the deal. Although, seeing how cute she thought Jerry was, she probably wouldn’t be too opposed to giving the little guy a hug.

“Hmmm... Deal! Now gimme that chocolate!”

Dipper gave the little gnome his bar and continued to walk down the path with his sister and friend. Soos was getting more and more anxious the closer they got to their destination.

“I don’t know, dude. I’m getting some major bad feelings about going to this place...”

“It’ll be okay, Soos! And if we have any issues, I’ll just shoot at them with my grappling hook!” Mabel showed off the weapon proudly before returning it to its’ place. 

“That makes me feel much better. Thanks, Mabel!” Soos seemed to cheer up at the thought of having some protection against the possible threat.

The house was the same as it was yesterday, with only a few minor differences. It seemed the flowers and garden had recently been watered. 

“Well, we definitely know someone’s home...” 

Dipper gulped nervously. He’d been insisting that those rumors were only rumors the whole way here, but now he was becoming more worried. What if he was wrong? It wasn’t the most far-fetched thing he’d heard of or experienced while staying at Gravity Falls. He started towards the door, fist extended to knock. But he just stood there for what felt like an eternity.

“What’re you waiting for, Dip dip? Knock on the door.” Mabel said anxiously.

“I... I don’t know...”

“No, prob, dude. There’s a door bell. I’ve got this.” Soos pointed out before pressing the button.

“WAIT! Soos don-!”

Dipper cringed as the sound of the bell rang through out the cabin. It wasn’t too late to run and hide. If they were quick enough, the witch lady wouldn’t even know they were there. She’d never have to know. Just a bunch of teens running around town daring each other to ding-dong-ditch her house. Dipper started to back away when sounds started coming from the house, moving towards the front door.

“O-okay, I changed my mind, dude. I don’t want to conquer my fears about this lady. Let’s get out of here!” Soos said in a panicked voice.

The twins nodded their heads in agreement but before they took another step, the door swung open. The startled group huddled up together and screamed in terror. They all squeezed their eyes shut, not wanting to see whatever grotesque being was before them.

A slight gasp came from the other side of the door and a figure stepped out into the light. 

“Oh my gosh! Are you all alright?” A soft voice asked.

Dipper open one of his eyes and looked at the source of the voice.

“H-huh?”

The woman in front of them wasn’t burned or disfigured in any form. She had short dulled blonde hair tied in a low bun with a few streaks of grey. Her eyes were soft like her son’s and a few wrinkles around her face giving away her age. She looked as normal as she could be.

“W-who’re you?” Dipper couldn’t help but stutter a bit at the lady.

“Well, you came to my home. And this IS the “Marks’ house”...” She smiled and laughed a little. “My name’s Adeline Marks. But everyone normally calls Addi. It’s nice to meet you...?”

“Oh! Um...” Dipper got up as did the other two. “My name’s Dipper Pines. This is my twin sister Mabel and this is our friend, Soos.”

“Hi! I really like your house!” Mabel seemed almost giddy at meeting this person.

Addi laughed gently. “Thank you. Glad someone likes what I’ve done to the place.”

“‘Sup, dawg. Dude, I’m SO glad you didn’t turn out to be some cannibal witch or whatever.” Soos shook Addi’s hand happily.

“Is that what people are saying about me now? Geez, rumors really do fly in small towns.” She turned to Dipper and Mabel. “You two wouldn’t happen to be related to Stanford Pines, would you?”

“Yeah! He’s our grunkle!” Mabel was happy that there may be someone in town that didn’t think Stan was a crook. Not that he wasn’t, but still...

“Huh, is that so? He used to be a pretty good friend of the family a long time ago when Shifty was little. He used to call him “Uncle Stan”. It was so cute. Oh, do you know my son, Oliver? We all call him “Shifty”.”

“Yeah... We kind of followed him out here the other day...” Dipper rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed that he’d gone to such lengths to find someone’s home. Addi just smiled at the group reassuringly. 

“It’s alright. I’m sure he’ll understand. Besides, if you didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have gotten to meet any of you. I don’t get a lot of visitors out here... human visitors anyways... But come on in and make yourself at home. I’ll get some drinks together and we can just chat for however long you want.” She motioned them inside and they quickly followed.

Dipper’s eyes widened as he looked around the interior of the house. He had been expecting the stereotypical things you’d find in an older woman’s home, maybe a few doilies, like Soos’s Abuelita’s house. But he didn’t expect the world he walked into. 

There were all kinds of pictures, charts and drawings all around the place. Some of people they all knew while many more of creatures they had yet to imagine. There were a lot of Shifty as he gradually grew up, with his mother by his side from time to time. The one that caught Dipper’s eye was a photo of Addi with a small larva-like creature in her arms, holding it as if it were a baby. Mabel was more interested in all the drawings that covered the walls. 

“Wow! Did you draw these?” She asked while pointing at a drawing of what looked like a bear with multiple faces that Dipper immediately recognized. 

Addi nodded. “Being out here on your own gets kind of boring. So I like taking a sketchbook out with me on nature hikes. Drawing helps me relax. And sometimes I like drawing the different creatures that inhabit the woods.”

Dipper starred at a large hand drawn map. Adeline had charted out every single living location of every anomaly in Gravity Falls. There were all kinds of creatures and places on it that he and his sister had yet to discover themselves. There was even a very detailed map of the town, including the house they were currently in. 

“Woah... This is amazing... How long have you been doing all this?” 

“Hmmm... It’s been a while. Ever since Shifty was little, I suppose. So maybe a little over 30 years, give or take.” 

Dipper went wide-eyed. This woman has pretty much been continuing the Author’s work for the last 30 years after he disappeared. And she was so casual about it! Like she hasn’t been discovering new things on her own and just going on walks in the woods and doodling what she found. There were no notes with the drawings aside from titles and locations. Addi’s handwriting didn’t match the notes in the Journal but Dipper couldn’t ignore the similarities. As he continued looking at each image, his eyes fell on one that looked all too familiar. It was a drawing of Adeline herself. She was much younger, with long hair and what looked like bellbottom jeans. She had a bright smile on her face and the larva creature from earlier was asleep in her arms with a well detailed backdrop of a meadow behind them. But the drawing wasn’t in her usual art style and there were crossed out notes next to it. The notes were impossible to read, but there was a small entry that he could make out.

“She makes my dark life a little brighter.”

Dipper gasped and pulled out the Journal for comparison. He held the book up to the framed page to get a better look at the words. The handwriting matched perfectly. 

“Oh my gosh! Mabel! Take a look at this!”

Mabel looked up from the little photo album she, Soos and Addi were going through. 

“And here’s a picture of Shifty in his Halloween costume when he was ten.” Addi pointed to a page, obviously very happy at having someone to dote on her son to.

“Woah, dude. You guys gotta tell me where you get your costumes because he looks exactly like that scary alien from that one movie. Like, down to the very last detail. It’s a little scary. I can’t even see the seems or anything.” Soos examined the picture thoroughly as Mabel hopped off the couch to join her brother.

“Look! This is proof that we’re at the right place! That’s the Author’s handwriting! That’s his drawing of Addi! She knows him! Heck, the paper even looks like it came out of one of Journals!”

Mabel smiled excitedly with her twin. 

“We’re gonna finally find out who wrote the Journals!” Mabel gasped softly “What if he’s still around? She might know where he’s been! Or maybe he lives here!”

That got Dipper even more excited. If the Author actually lived here with Addi and Shifty, he could actually meet him! He could ask him all kinds of questions and get answers directly from the source of all his curiosity. The twelve-year-old took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

“Okay, okay. We need to keep our cool. We don’t need to freak out and make Addi suspicious of why we’re asking her questions. Just gotta... whew... keep calm. I’m gonna ask her.”

Mabel nodded in agreement and gave him a thumbs up. Dipper gulped and stepped towards the woman with Journal in hand. 

“A-Addi?”

“Hm?” Adeline looked up from her conversation with Soos to give Dipper her full attention. 

“What is it, Dipper?”

“I-Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?” His voice cracked a bit at the end, making Addi laugh a little. He blushed slightly.

“It’s okay. Shifty’s voice was twice as bad when he was your age. Don’t worry about your voice cracking. It’ll pass eventually. Go ahead and ask away, Dipper. I’ll answer as best as I can.” 

Dipper took another deep breath. This was it. He was finally going to get his answers. He presented the Journal to Addi, placing it gingerly in her hands while she looked down at it.

“Do you know anything about the person who wrote this?”

Addi thumbed through the pages gently, like she was examining an ancient historical document that could fall apart at any given moment. She quickly read through the first few pages before landing on the scribbled out self-portrait the Author had made of himself. Dipper watched as she concentrated, trying to remember what information she could possibly have on this man. There must have been a lot considering she starred at the entry for almost fifteen minutes. She gave the page a sad look before shutting the book all together, running her hand over the six fingered hand on the cover. Adeline looked up at Dipper with that same look.

“I’m sorry... I don’t know anything about the author...”


	3. Ripped Pages and Torn Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper, Mabel and Soos discover Adeline’s relation to the Author and find out the truth about Shifty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Co-written by my friend, Purpledragon6 (aka @scipunk63 on Tumblr) because I mainly draw and am a hopeless writer until the eventual day I get better. Love ya, L!

Dipper felt his chest tighten. His heart sink felt as if it were sinking into his stomach as he tried to process Adeline’s words. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about the author.” 

That's what she said.

He and his company had ventured to this house in the middle of the woods, came all this way in order to gain whatever information they could about the mysterious Author of the Journals. All that work, and yet they were still no further than they had been half a summer ago. 

“N-nothing at all?” Dipper’s throat felt dry as his voice suddenly found its way back to him.

“No… But-” The boy held his breath, as the woman’s eyes darted back to the journal-

Perhaps something stood out.

“You could ask my son… He's certainly seen a lot more of this place than I have.” She offered. “Oliver Marks.” 

Oliver “Shifty” Marks was probably the nicest ranger Dipper and Mabel had ever met. He helped everyone he possibly could around town, but it seemed so unlikely that he would be of any help in a situation like this… Though, it COULD be worth a try… Or another lead that went nowhere. 

“NO!”

The woman seemed just as surprised by his sudden interjection as he was. He was just so frustrated!

“I’m sorry, Dipper. But I honestly don’t know anything. I wish I did, I really do. I’m sorry I’m not of much help...”

“Not of much help?!” Dipper slammed the Journal on the coffee table, making the glasses on top of it shake.

“Woah, dude. Calm down!” Soos cried out. 

“Calm down!? We just came all this way for nothing!” His face felt hot from blushing so hard, followed by warm tears forming in his eyes. “We’re still nowhere close to finding him…”

The twelve year old looked up at the others. They were all silent. Just staring at him in complete bewilderment. Mabel reached out a hand for him, and he gratefully took it. He finally calmed and turned back to Addi with a much more sullen look on his face. He wiped away the tears before they had a chance to fall down his face.

“I was so sure… You have a page from the Journal framed on the wall… You’ve been researching the exact same things he has!” The boy looked a little deeper into the woman’s eyes, searching for anything. “That page has his handwriting on it! There’s just no way you don’t know ANYTHING...”

Adeline gave the boy a small forgiving smile, and it made Dipper feel even lower than low.

“I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have acted up like that...” He muttered dryly, slowly pulling the journal towards himself and holding it to his chest like a shield. 

“It’s alright, Dipper. I understand you must be very frustrated with not finding the answers you were looking for, but sometimes it’s hard trying to find what you’re looking for.” 

“So... Why won’t you tell us anything about the Author?...”

The old woman gave Dipper a small frown before looking at the Journal on the table. She picked it up and started to thumb through it again. 

“It’s because I really don’t remember anything about him. That doesn’t necessarily mean I didn’t KNOW him, however. It just means that I can’t recall anything regarding him.” She kept flipping over page after page, skimming the text as she did.

Mabel leaned over to Dipper so the woman couldn’t hear her whisper.

 

“Should we tell her that didn't make sense?”

Dipper quickly shook his head in response. 

Adeline kept reading through the book until suddenly she stopped and looked up the group. Dipper felt his heart still, hoping that she recognized something. These hopes rose even higher when she turned the book around and pointed to a picture of a larva-like creature hatching from an egg. 

“That thing must look familiar!” Mabel exclaimed as she pointed at the creature.

“It’s does...” Addi said as she held onto the Journal a little tighter. She then cleared her throat and began to read. “‘For the past week, I have conducted all manner of tests on the specimen, whom I named “Shifty”’... Same as Oliver’s nickname… That's about all that a familiar to me.” 

“Is it?”

The woman kept her head down and didn’t say a word. Dipper looked around the room and re-found the Author’s drawing of Adeline. In her arms, was the same creature, and it actually looked happy. 

“Addi, do you know about this thing?” The boy reiterated, only to be met by silence. “Please don’t ignore me.” 

“Dipper-” Addi was trembling, seemingly from her own frustrations.

Dipper nodded his head and looked back at the drawing on the wall. He began to study it. Hoping to find more from it. Still, all he noticed were that the edges of the page were jagged from where it had seemingly been torn from the journal-. 

“Addi, can we take this out of the frame so we can see the other side?” Brown eyes were blown wide as the boy lept up from his spot.

“Dipper, you can’t ask someone if you can mess with their pictures! You could mess it up!” Mabel cried. 

“But it’s a missing page from the Journal! The MIDDLE, before the Author vanished! If we can take a look at the other side, maybe it can help Addi remember him!” Tennis shoes squeaked loudly as Dipper gleefully jumped up and down in his excitement, but he just couldn't contain himself.

“Dipper-” 

“Mabel, this is the answer we came here for!”

“We don't know that! You to a creepy house to scream at an old lady about ONE picture-”

“Just one side-”

“MAYBE the Author isn't environmentally friendly and only used one side of the paper to draw one picture-”

“THE AUTHOR WOULD NEVER DO THAT, MABEL!”

The twins went back and forth for quite a while before they were interrupted by a soft sigh.

“‘ “A” also seems to have taken to the creature. Much more than I could have ever anticipated, treating it as if it were a human infant. Although I initially did not approve, this behavior has somewhat stuck. She believes that if the creature is nurtured and grows attachments similar to how a child grows attached to its parents, we may see more results with our investigations with Shifty.’.” Adeline said, her voice monotone.

“Wai-”

But Dipper was cut off by a wave of Adeline’s hand as she continued. “The Shapeshifter has started to refer to “A” as “Momma”. In one instance, Shifty had called me “Dada”. I don’t know exactly where he heard this or if he grasps the concept, but I can’t say that I didn’t find some joy in it nevertheless. I had never planned to be a father, but Shifty’s imprinting on both myself and “A” has presented me with many different opportunities. Hopefully, I can provide him a better upbringing than I had.’”

Everyone stared at Adeline for a moment, taking it all in. 

“Wha-what-” Soos stuttered, speaking on behalf of both himself and the Twins.

“That’s the other side of that page. I’ve read it over and over again for years. Safe to say that I have it memorized...”

“So... Is that why Shifty has the same nickname as that weird thing?” Soos guessed, while the twins looked back at Addi, who still looked expressionless. “Your son and the shapeshifter is like- the same person, right?”

“Well-.” The front door shut suddenly with a loud bang, making everyone jump in surprise. 

“Mom, I’m ho- WHAT THE-?!” A large semi-translucent monster stood by the doorway.

It had large circular pink eyes and a leech-like snout with large hooked teeth protruding it. It easily towered over the humans before it. The monster’s left arm was large and muscular while its’ right long and thin, almost reaching the floor. It was holding a backpack that hit the wooden floor with a thud. The creature was glaring angrily at the group, and suddenly he began to growl.

The twins and Soos let out a large ear piercing scream. Mabel quickly pulled out her grappling hook and fumbled for a moment before she took aim.

“W-wait! Don’t shoot that thi- OW!” The monster groaned in pain as Mabel shot it directly in the face. 

“DIE, MONSTER!!!” She cried.

“Mabel! Wait! Stop! Don’t hurt- HEY! PUT ME DOWN!” Adeline yelled as Soos picked her up, ready to make a break for it.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Marks! But that thing is scary and will probably eat you first if I don’t carry you!” 

“STOP! STOP RIGHT NOW!” Its’ voice was deep and menacing, shaking the trio down to their bones.

“OH MY GOSH!” Addi struggled against Soos’s bear hug to no avail. He wasn’t letting go anytime soon. “Will you all calm down!? This is just my son, like you ALREADY guessed!” 

Dipper chuckled nervously, feeling that heavy blush rise back to his face in embarrassment. It was evident that the others were feeling the same thing, as they sported their own splotches of pink and red.

“S-sorry… He just looked so- Small and cute in his pictures.” Dipper stuttered.

“Thats okay, but now- PUT ME DOWN NOW, SOOS!” Addi’s angered voice may have been more terrifying than the monster’s and Soos put her down quickly and gently.

“I-I’m sorry, Ms. Marks. I panicked. I didn’t know what else to do. That thing IS really scary, dude.” Soos twiddled his thumbs nervously, like a child awaiting a lecture from their parent. 

“Yeah! That thing looks like it could seriously hurt you or worse! We just met you! I didn’t want to lose a friend I just made!” 

Addi smiled softly and ruffled Mabel’s hair. 

“It’s okay. He won’t hurt me. And I won’t let him hurt you guys either.” She slipped her hand out of Mabel’s hair and turned back towards Shifty, who looked none too pleased about being talked about when he was still in the room. 

Adeline only continued to smile, walking to the creature and checking the spot where he had been hit. Mabel notices and sheepishly bowed her head.

“You okay? That didn’t hurt you too much, did it?” She asked, wincing as the creature only huffed.

All the while, Dipper was in shock. Instead of fighting off this terrifying beast, Adeline Marks was HELPING it! Coddling it like it was a kid that scraped their knee. The monster rubbed its’ eye and hunched down, allowing Addi to examine the wound better- It was so strange and yet amazing to watch!

“I’m fine... It just hurts a little... Nothing too bad... I wasn’t expecting a hook to the face...” The creature sniffled softly, turning one of his pink eyes to look directly at the twins. “But I'm fine.”

“You're the shapeshifter…” Dipper gasped suddenly. 

“And you're still in MY house.” The creature got an angry look and moved Adeline to the side and out of the way.

Dipper stepped back hesitantly. 

“Being assaulted in my own home is NOT what I expected to come home to.” It pointed its long fingers at the trio, almost poking Dipper right in the nose.

“WE were invited in! You practically broke down the door!” Dipper argued, slapping the hand away.

“I UNLOCKED the door!” Shifty groaned.

“How the heck would you do that aside from turning your hand into a key to pick the lock?!” All eyes suddenly fell on Soos.

“... I-I have my own key.” Pink eyes rolled. “I don't use my abilities for EVERYTHING, you know.”

“If we can please move back to the living room, I can start explaining things.” 

Dipper looked over at Addi as she interjected, moving back in front of the monster. 

The monster huffed and started making its’ way back towards the front of the house. Dipper wasn’t about to sit in a room with that thing until he got some more answers- Or at least until he knew if it were truly safe or not.So instead of follow, he grabbed ahold of Addi’s jacket before she could go any further.

She stopped and looked back at the group. 

“Addi, I'm still a bit concerned about that thing...”

The woman gave Dipper a reassuring smile.

“It’s alright. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

 

She started walking towards the living room with the rest of the group at her heels. 

“So, if that dude lives here- Is this like one of those “monster in the basement” scenarios? I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s super overdone.” Soos’s voice already sounded from the livingroom.

“No, it’s nothing like that.” Came the monster’s voice.

“Then what?” Dipper’s patience was growing thin from all these useless questions.

 

“Oliver IS Shifty. The Shapeshifter. He’s Shifty. My son. Thus why he still lives at home.” Adeline summed up.

“I... I don’t understand… So does he get to live rent free or no-” It was safe to assume that everyone would just ignore Soos for now.

 

That left the questions up to Dipper. It made him feel uneasy. Like prey being forced into the den of a predator. It watched their every move, only breaking contact in order to blink in a reptilian manner. A shiver went up Dipper’s spine as he sat down as far from the being as possible. 

There was a disturbing silence as they all sat there, waiting as Addi went to get another glass of lemonade for the monster before them. 

 

“Sweetie, I think it’d be a good idea to stay in a form our guests are more comfortable with. At least until they’re used to your true form.” Adeline said as she handed the drink to creature. 

It groaned and huffed.

“Fine...” 

The trio gasped as the monster’s body changed and morphed. It’s once translucent appendage holding the glass of lemonade was suddenly replaced by a six-fingered hand. Soon instead of a creature of nightmares sitting on the couch, there was the blonde haired, happy-go-lucky man known as Oliver Marks. Except he wasn’t as happy-go-lucky as he usual. He brought the lemonade to his mouth and took a long drink, all while glaring at Dipper and then Mabel- But mostly Soos, angrily. It was strange seeing him like that.

Dipper parted his lips to ask his first question, but Mabel was the first to speak.

“Oh my gosh! You really ARE the Shapeshifter!” Mabel’s eyes grew three times their usual size as she quickly hopped onto the couch next to the man, surprising Shifty as much as it did everyone else.

A slight tint of red crept onto his cheeks, and it didn't go unnoticed. 

“Yes- I-” Shifty was cut off by Mabel.

 

“So you can become ANYTHING, right? Do you have to have seen whatever you’re wanting to turn into or can you just think it and become it? Can you become fantasy creatures? Like things that don’t actually exist? When you change do you actually gain that thing’s abilities?” She gasped for air. “Like if you turn into a fish, do you have functioning gills or do you still have to hold your breath? Can you shapeshift into a UNICORN?! Do you ever play pranks on people?”

The questions kept going a mile a minute. Shifty looked flustered and confused and he started stuttering, finally returning to the park ranger Dipper and Mabel knew.

Adeline smiled gently and sat on his other side. She looked over at Dipper who still hadn’t lost an ounce of his resolve. He was only more determined and it showed through ten times over when the woman turned to address him head on.

“So... THAT’S why his nickname’s “Shifty”.” Dipper still seemed a little uneasy as he watched Mabel and Soos ask the creature a flood of questions. He furrowed his brows disapprovingly.

“Don't worry. My Little man can handle a fee stupid questions.” She laughed.

“That’s not little...”

“True. But aren't you at least glad that I remembered enough that it got you to stay long enough to meet him?” A small smile. “Maybe he could help us fill in some of the gaps.”

“Gaps?” Dipper suddenly gave Addi his full attention.

“Yeah... I’m trying to remember but it’s like there’s missing parts. Blank spaces. But I do remember that I tried to raise Shifty as best I could. I was a research assistant, apparently, to whoever your mysterious author is. And I spent a good portion of my time being a mother to Shifty.” As she finished, Dipper found that Shifty was looking over at the two now. 

Shifty seemed to have gained angry look as his mother recounted the past. He looked tensed, ready to go to her side if she needed him. The trio could see the worry on the Shapeshifter’s face.

“Sorry, but it’s in the past.” Shifty said firmly.“I think you all need to leave.” 

Dipper, Mabel and Soos seemed shocked at the sudden harshness. 

“Wait, what? You want us to leave? But we just found out all kinds of things about you. Don’t you want to just hang out and talk?” Mabel pleaded with Shifty, but he shook his head.

“No. You all have caused enough excitement as is. I’ll escort you back to town but after that, I don’t you all ever coming back here.”

“Shifty...” Adeline gave him a sad glance. 

“Mom, we have a system for a reason. You know that.” He said firmly. “People aren’t supposed to come here. It’s too dangerous. I’m sorry, but it’s better if this is the last time they come here.”

The woman looked down sorrowfully. 

“Wait! We were finally making some progress with our investigation! And besides, she’s your mom! You can’t tell her who she can and can’t let into her house!” Dipper got up from his seat and argued with Shifty.

He couldn’t let his strongest lead to the Author go so easily. He’d fight the Shapeshifter for as long as it took. Or he thought that until Shifty picked him up by his shirt collar.

“H-hey! What are you doing?! Put me down!”

 

Shifty was unfazed by the boy’s struggling and addressed Mabel and Soos.

“Are you two also going to be problematic or are we all going to walk home calmly? Either way, I win.”

“Hey! Put my brother down! He may sneeze like a kitten but that doesn’t mean you can treat him like one!” Mabel ran up to Shifty and started kicking at his shin. 

Shifty rolled his eyes and picked the girl up in a similar fashion. She angrily swung her fists at him trying to land a hit. Shifty sighed and looked at Soos.

“And you?”

“Uh... um... I-I think I’ll just walk. I don’t like getting picked up...” Soos stuttered.

“Good choice.” 

“Oliver Shifter Marks, stop. That isn’t necessary.”.The twins stopped their struggling finally and looked to see that Addi was up from the couch and giving her son a stern look. 

“Y-you’re going to tell him to let us stay?” Dipper and Mabel smiled hopefully. Adeline returned it.

“No. I’m sorry but maybe it would be best if you all went home. I won’t say that you can’t come back. You all are free to come and go as you wish. But I think your great uncle should know what you’ve been up to.” She replied.

“Wh-what? No! If you tell Stan, he won’t let us anywhere near this place!” Dipper cried.

“Addi, please don’t tell Grunkle Stan! I want to come and visit you!” Mabel added.

Addi just smiled softly at the two of them. “Don’t worry, I’ll talk some sense into him. We’ll come to an agreement we can all be happy with. He may act like a stubborn old coot but he’s a softy.”

Dipper pouted. “I... highly doubt that...”

“It was nice to meet you all. Maybe next time you come over, I’ll take you all on a hike. We can visit those unicorns you really want to meet, Mabel.”

Mabel gasped as her eyes sparkled and squealed. “I KNEW THEY WERE REAL!”

Shifty put the kids down and started towards the door. Mabel quickly went and hugged Addi. Dipper was hesitant before his sister pulled him into it. 

“We’ll come back and visit soon, Addi! We promise!” Mabel’s smile was infectious.

Adeline laughed and returned the gesture. “Okay. I look forward to having you guys back here. Don’t get in too much trouble.”

“We make no such promises!” Mabel released her and skipped after Shifty.

Dipper put his hands in his vest pockets and had a defeated look. Addi messed with his hat until he looked up at her.

“I’ll do my best to try and remember. And I wouldn’t hesitate to ask Shifty a thing or two..After he warms up to you.”

“R-Really?”

Adeline nodded. “But let me warn you, though... Shifty doesn’t particularly like talking. So don’t get discouraged when he rejects your questions at first. You just have to be persistent. You’ll get your answers, Dipper. And maybe I’ll get some answers too.”

Dipper gave the woman a small smile. He gave another quick embrace before heading after the others.  
The four of them were halfway back to town before Mabel broke the awkward silence.

“So... You aren’t going to tell Grunkle Stan we went to your house when he said not to, are you?” She asked.

Shifty looked down at the girl and smiled softly. “Naw. That isn’t my way. Besides, mom will be the one break the news to him. But she’s pretty persuasive. She’ll convince him to let you off the hook.”

Mabel started playing with her hair and looked away from him. “I’m sorry I shot you in the face with my grappling hook...”

“No no. Don’t worry about it. I frightened you guys and you were just defending yourself. I healed up already. Like nothing happened. It’s not a big deal, really.” 

They continued to walk for a while longer until they could see the opening leading back to the lake. 

“Okay, there we go. Soos should be able to take you two home from there.” 

Soos gave a giant sigh of relief. “Oh thank goodness. That lemonade went right through me, if you know what I mean. Can I use your bathroom, dude?”

“There’s a port-a-potty close by you can use.” 

Soos ran off in the direction Shifty pointed in a hurry.

“Wait, Soos! I have to go too! Let me go first!” Mabel quickly followed him.

Dipper laughed and started towards the truck before a strong hand stopped him from leaving the shade of the forest. He looked up to see Shifty’s serious face staring down at him. Dipper jumped slightly at the sudden change in demeanor. 

“You need to stop your pursuit for answers with my mother.” He said.

Dipper gasped. “H-huh? Why? It isn’t hurting anyone.” 

“It isn’t hurting anyone YET. My mother has a very... sensitive... memory. If you try to make her remember, it won’t end well. It could actually hurt her. Mentally and physically.”

“Is that why you keep her away from town? In case she remembers?”

Shifty’s face went sullen. “There are several reasons why I try and keep my mother safe. People that would have ill intentions towards her if she remembered too much. If they don’t suspect she knows as much as she does, they’ll leave her alone.” 

“Out of sight, out of mind” as they say…” Dipper sighed. 

“If she starts remembering too much, I won’t be able to stop her from looking for answers herself. She’ll go into town and they’ll take away everything. She won’t be herself any longer. I’m just trying to keep that from happening.” Shifty went on.

“So you’re just fine with keeping her in the dark? Doesn’t she deserve to know the truth?”

“I never said she didn’t deserve to.”

“Then why won’t you let her find it? Why won’t you let her have anything to do with anyone? Why won’t you let her find out about your dad?”

Shifty went completely silent at the mention of his father. He let go of Dipper’s shoulder and started heading back home.

“Hey! He’s the Author of the Journals, right?! Why don’t you want your mom to remember him? What happened that you don’t want her to know, Shifty?!” Dipper called back.

 

Shifty stopped in his tracks before looking over his shoulder at the twelve year old. It made Dipper shiver when he saw the pink tint in his eyes. 

“Searching for the unseen only leads to sorrow, Dipper Pines. Turn a blind eye now before it’s too late.”

Dipper watched him disappear into the dark forest, with nothing but more questions fluttering in his mind.


End file.
